If You Could Go Back

I know, I know If you could go back you would walk with Jesus You would march with King Maybe assassinate Hitler At least hide Jews in your basement It would all be clear to you But people then, just like you were baffled, had bills to pay and children they didn’t understand and they too were so desperate for normalcy they made anything normal Even turning everything inside out Even killing, and killing, and it’s easy for turning the other cheek to be looking the other way, for walking to be talking, and they hid in their houses and watched it on television, when they had television, and wrung their hands or didn’t, and your hands are just like theirs. Lined, permeable, small, and you would follow Caesar, and quote McCarthy, and Hoover, and you would want to make Germany great again Because you are afraid, and your parents are sick, and your job pays shit and where’s your dignity? Just a little dignity and those kids sitting down in the highway, and chaining themselves to buildings, what’s their fucking problem? And that kid That’s King. And this is Selma. And Berlin. And Jerusalem. And now is when they need you to be brave. Now is when we need you to go back and forget everything you know and give up the things you’re chained to and make it look so easy in your grandkids’ history books (they should still have them, kinehora) Now is when it will all be clear to them.

We are Jews of Color, Sephardi, Mizrahi, and other Minoritized Jews organizing for justice in Palestine and the transformation of our communities. We are organizing in partnership with Jewish Voice for Peace.

Unruly is an intersectional blog created and operated by members of the Jews of Color and Sephardi/Mizrahi (JOCSM) Caucus organized in partnership with Jewish Voice for Peace. Our focus is on racial justice issues in the United States, Palestine, Israel, and beyond.